Things I Like — Carpet Diem Kitchen
Sometimes you wake up and all you want is a fancy pastry. Sometimes desperation is the mother of invention. Pain au Chocolate Chips! One sheet ready roll puff pastry, cut into 9 squares 9 tsp chocolate chips 1 egg beaten in a cup Oven 350F. Spray baking sheet. For each square put chips In the … Continue reading
Things I’m Loving
Last year I wrote a weird and wonderful round-up of things on my radar, and it consistently ranks among the favourite pages on this here Log. So I thought it was time to unveil the innerworkings of my Spring 2013. Et voila… I. THINGS THAT MAKE ME THINK Award season sees the worlds of media, … Continue reading
The Holiday Wishlist
Our hybrid holiday continues with treats and tunes and traditions from both our fair nations. Though, sourcing my Americano snackage is always a struggle. While it’s not impossible to get import goods — the Mexican deli runs a good trade in Reeces and flavoured popcorn, and the fancy department store stocks bourbon and poptarts in … Continue reading
Independence Day: or how to roast a chicken
It’s almost the 4th of July. One of my favourite holidays, and yet another opportunity to subject my ex-pat acquaintance to a good dousing of Americana. This year, I heartily recommend blending two of America’s best culinary clichés (preferably while humming patriotic anthems): barbecuing large quantities of meat, and using an eclectic spice fusion reminiscent … Continue reading
Monster Cookies
Let’s be honest. I am no food blogger. I am too excited about eating my concoctions to stop and take nice photos. As curses go, it could be much worse. BUT, today, despite their hideousness, I feel compelled to share my latest baking adventure. After all, it’s okay if Monster cookies are a little, well, … Continue reading
A Minty May Treat
May is one of the very, very best months. There is sunshine and there are flowers and barbeques and a bounty of good, juicy wild foods for foraging. One of the first welcome friends I find in the hedgerow (after the prolific wild garlic) is mint, in all her varieties. Foraging is not a skill … Continue reading
The Ultimate American
Any college student’s semester-abroad blog will acquaint you with the funny words, confusing idioms and quaintness that surrounds much of British culture. Ooh – wellies! Hehe – lorry! Oh the biscuit-cookie confusion, and chip-crisp conundrum. How delightful. I make light, but there are subtle linguistic differences I still haven’t fathomed after eight years. The culture … Continue reading
The Perfect Bagel
I cannot profess to have made the perfect bagel. Not yet, anyway. But these were pretty damn fine if I do say so myself. Making them from scratch was easier than I expected and the results, while imperfect, have made every store bought bagel seem a pale reflection. Honestly. They taste like nothing else. So … Continue reading
Red Velvet Cake
We like unconventional traditions in our house. They break things up and add spice to our everyday. Every year for our birthdays, we do two things: One is our birthday getaway which I mentioned already, and the other is cake. I know, I know. Birthday cakes are totally old news. But since we started dating, … Continue reading
How NOT To Make Pie
“easy as pie” they always say. As if. Pie, as it turns out, it no easier (or more difficult) than any other baking. I should know. I can make bagels and fry churros and bake the meanest cornbread you’ve ever eaten. But this year, I decided to attempt the unknown and bake a down-home, domesticated … Continue reading
Que Sera Sara? 